ZHAO CHUN AND RIVER TURTLE

　　趙春和江龜

　　Once a fishermen in Dantu， Jiangsu caught a huge turtle. He wasn't quite sure what to do with it. He pondered. "It's huge. It must be worth a lot of money. If anybody around here can afford to buy such a big turtle， it has to be Zhao Chun， because he's the richest man in the county."

　　一次江蘇丹涂的一個漁夫捉住了一只巨龜。他不知如何處置它。

　　漁夫想，"這只龜這么大，肯定值不少錢。能買得起它的，也就是趙春，他是縣里的首富。"

　　He put the turtle in a cart and took it to Zhao. Zhao took one look and said， "Turtle soup！" He gave the fisherman a good price for the turtle， and from then on， any fisherman who caught a turtle sold it to Zhao. As a matter of fact，catching turtles to sell to Zhao Chun became a local specialty.

　　他把烏龜裝進了大車，來到趙家。趙春看了一眼，說道，"做成龜湯！"他給了漁夫不少錢，從此以后，只要有漁夫捉到烏龜，都會賣給趙春。實際上，為趙春捉龜似乎成了當地的一種行當。

　　After about a year of this， Zhao dreamed that he was in the Temple of the Eastern Peak， arguing a case in front of a judge. The plaintiff was fat， with a triangular head. He called himself River Turtle. River Turtle told the divine Emperor of the Eastern Peak， "Zhao Chun has killed too many of us. He should be called to accounts."

　　這樣過了一年，一天，趙春做了一個夢，他夢見自己來到了東岳廟，正在判官面前辯論著一件案子。告狀人很胖，長著一個三角腦袋。他自稱叫做江龜。江龜對東岳廟神君說道，"趙春殺死了我的很多同類。你們應該找他算賬。"

　　"Nothing. I just love to eat turtle meat， that's all. What harm can that do？ I mean， it's not me that catches them."

　　"沒什么。我只是愛吃龜肉，僅此而已。那有什么不好嗎？我是說，又不是我去捉那些龜的。"

　　The Emperor said， "The fishermen are uneducated， so they cannot be expected to understand the way in which killing innocent animals upsets the balance of the universe. You， however， are an educated man. You should know better. If you do not know， you will learn in Hell." The Emperor glared at Zhao. River Turtle nodded.

　　神君說道，"那些漁夫沒文化，不能期望他們懂得殺生會破壞宇宙規律。可是你，一個讀書人，應該知道。如果現在你不懂，等你下了地獄就懂了。"神君瞪著趙春。一旁的江龜不住地點頭。

　　"Zhao Chun！" The Emperor's voice rumbled like thunder. "What do you have to say in your defense？"

　　"趙春！"神君的聲音像打雷一樣。"你還有什么要說的嗎？"

　　"Will you mend your ways？ We will give you a chance. If from this day hence， you do not kill or cause to be killed any cattle， pig， poultry， dog， turtle， or other animal， but do your utmost to teach others not to kill， you may atone for your crimes.

　　"你愿意改過嗎？我們可以給你一個機會。如果從今天開始，你再也不殺或叫人去殺牛、豬、狗、龜、家禽等生靈，并且盡力勸說別人不殺生，你就能消減你的罪業。"

　　"Does the plaintiff have any comment？"

　　"原告還有什么要補充的嗎？"

　　"Your Majesty，" River Turtle begged， "Aren't you letting him off a bit too easy？ Don't forget how many of my relatives are buried in his stomach."

　　"陛下，"江龜申訴道，"您這樣豈不是太便宜他了嗎？別忘了有多少我的同族葬身于他的腸胃之中啊。"

　　"Yes， it is meet and right that we discipline this man to express the indignation of all living creatures for his barbarous behavior. Bailiffs！ Give this man ten strokes with the bamboo poles."

　　"不錯，不懲戒一下他的野蠻行徑，便不能平息眾生的憤怒。衙役們，將此人重責十下竹杖。"

　　Six demons dragged Zhao to the floor and held him there while two others beat him with bamboo poles.

　　六個小鬼把趙春拉過來按在地上，另兩個則用竹杖狠狠地抽了下去。

　　When he got up， the Emperor said， "If a person has so much as one good thought， the gods and demons can bring him good fortune. Bad thoughts bring bad luck. If you change your ways， you can earn good luck. If you keep up your old habits， though， you will not be forgiven." Several demons led him out of the temple.

　　當趙春爬起來時，神君說道，"如果一個人有善念的話，神鬼都會保佑他的。而邪念只會帶來厄運。如果你真心改過，你會好運連連。如果你還惡習不改，那就罪不容誅了。"幾個小鬼領著趙春出了神廟。

　　Zhao woke up in his own bed. His bottom was bruised and swollen. He had to spend a week in bed before he could get up.

　　這時趙春從夢中醒來。他的臀部又淤又腫。又躺了一個星期才能起床。

　　He told his whole family what happened to him. From that day， they all became vegetarians. They never ate another animal's carcass. They bought captured animals to set free. Before long， everybody agreed that the Zhaos had changed. Now they were not only the richest people around， but they were also the nicest.

　　他告訴了全家人所發生的事。從那天開始，他們都吃素了。他們再也沒有吃過一點葷腥。而且他們還買來被捉的動物放生。不久，人們都發現趙家人變了?，F在他們不僅是當地最富的人，而且還是最善良的人。

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